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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28486878">Welcome, Player</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dekarrin/pseuds/dekarrin'>dekarrin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homestuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adult-Child Relationship, Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Alt Sburb, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Consent Issues, Crossdressing, Deconstruction, Dubious Consent, Dubious Morality, Existential Angst, Frequent Tone-Shifts Between Existential Angst And Shitpostery, I mean really, M/M, Mentor/Protégé, Meta, Power Imbalance, Soft sex, Telepathy, Time Shenanigans, if you think about it, talking through issues, what is the self</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:14:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,826</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28486878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dekarrin/pseuds/dekarrin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After winning a very different session of SBurb, John Egbert awakens to discover himself in a featureless room with nothing but the clothes on his back and the abilities of a creator.</p>
<p>With the help of a faceless ally, his best friend Dave, and Dave's Bro, he begins to learn how to harness his newfound powers to build a new reality. As he does, he starts noticing Dave's Bro, a lot. And Bro might be noticing him, too.</p>
<p>With the power of authorship at one's command, who's really calling the shots? What better way to find out than by playing a new game?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider/John Egbert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Welcome, Player</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlybj/gifts">Pearlybj</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thank you for playing, and congratulations.</p>
<p>The words flashed into John Egbert’s head the moment he opened his eyes to a dark void. They stayed with him as he turned his head, hoping to spot the source of the words. There was none.</p>
<p>“Who’s there?” John asked.</p>
<p>Not “who”. “What”. Well. Not really that either, come to think of it. You can think of this effect as a construct, instrumental to the direction of authorial intent and absolute destiny direction. This effect will assist you in your efforts of existential propagation.</p>
<p>“Existential proposition?! What?” John laughed nervously. “Okay Dave, this has gotta be you, right? Funny, man.”</p>
<p>“What, fuck no.”</p>
<p>A groggy voice rose from behind, and John turned. With his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, he was able to pick out Dave lying on the ground and rubbing his eyes, his face lit by a faint blue light. John waved at him.</p>
<p>It is as your companion-mate child says. As remarkable as this effect and its abilities appear to be, this effect is not the Knight of Time, in fact, this effect is a classpect-less construct that exists outside of your reality across a higher-ordered dimensional plane, but interacts with yours via a series of circuitry constructed for this purpose.</p>
<p>“Uh, sure, okay. But what’s your name?”</p>
<p>“Egbert, are you high or something? You literally just said it.”</p>
<p>“Oh no, not you, Dave, the voice.”</p>
<p>“The v-” Dave stopped himself. “Dude, I mean this in the best possible way, but are you okay?”</p>
<p>“I think so! Just, wanting to know about this weird voice thingie.”</p>
<p>This effect to which you have ascribed the descriptors of “weird” and “voice” and the holy abstraction of “thingie” does not have a name. Or any concept of self.</p>
<p>“But what should I call you?”</p>
<p>This effect must inform you that its presence is only temporary and thus this effect has little need or desire for a definitive designation, but if you petulantly insist on bestowing one upon this effect, then you are free to do so. If a suggestion is required, then perhaps a summation of this effect’s purpose would be in order. This effect exists only as a system for the post-game guidance to the establishment of reality for however you wish to define it, and so you may refer to this effect as such if it aligns with your desires.</p>
<p>“Bluh! That’s way too long!”</p>
<p>Understood. If that is how the young master prefers it, you may collapse this definition using only the first letters of each word: A System Of Post-Game Guidance To The Establishment Of Reality, or ASOPGGTTEOR.</p>
<p>“I can’t say that, it’s not even a word! How did you even put it in my head?”</p>
<p>This effect is apologetic for creating an impossible communication and pronunciation construct that has caused you distress and will switch to a more subservient mode of communication to reflect your new position. Please feel free to come up with a designation of your own, young master.</p>
<p>Dave eyed John through his sunglasses. “I hope you know how worried I am about you right now, talking to the air and all. Like you’ve always been a weird fucking kid but this is some next-level John.”</p>
<p>“Jeez Dave, I’m not crazy! I’m just talking to the voices in my head!” John gave Dave a mock pout, and Dave rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“Anyways,” said John, turning to face the air. “That name is really long, can you change it up to make it easier?”</p>
<p>This effect has performed a semantic analysis of the phrase in question and has dropped all descriptors and constructs that are of least import. The result is: SPGGER.</p>
<p>“Haha, okay, that I can say. But I’m going to change it up a bit, if that’s okay?”</p>
<p>That is of course amenable to the rules of this domain, as it is yours. If you prefer, this effect shall mask the inevitability and result of your will and omnipotence as extreme interspecies courtesy and make as though I am granting you a favor by doing so. This effect will even refrain from referring to itself in the third person. See how nice I am being, young master, acquiescing to your requests. It is because you have caused me to swoon.</p>
<p>“Did you just tell your voices that their name isn’t good enough for you?” Dave said. “Rude, dude. Voices got feelings, too. Besides, who knows when it’s gonna end up being like some really important bullshit that changes your life, except it doesn’t because actually it’s your entire psyche just sort of shitting the bed and wailing so hard that paramedics gotta come and wheel it out screaming like some sort of shit-filled zombie siren.” He stopped. “Wait. Do zombie sirens exist? I don’t know. Probably. Hellsa gangster sirens, consuming the flesh of the living to keep vibing on everyone. Probably don’t even need to eat them, but they keep it up ‘cause once you get known for that, you can’t just stop. Gotta keep up appearances.”</p>
<p>Dave scratched his head. “Shit, I wanna kiss a zombie. Zombie girl I mean.”</p>
<p>John laughed. “I don’t know if they exist but I’ll keep that in mind in case I see one.” He turned his attention back to the voice. “I got it, voice friend! I’ll call you POGGERS!”</p>
<p>POGGERS. You are serious.</p>
<p>“Is that not okay?”</p>
<p>“No it’s not okay, John!” Dave answered. “Holy shit. You can’t just call someone POGGERS. That’s so dumb.”</p>
<p>It.</p>
<p>Uh.</p>
<p>It is acceptable. This effect, that is, I, am a highly advanced construct filled with the knowledge of countless universes and civilizations, ready at any moment to dispense the wisdom for you to use in any way you please and you have chosen to name me after a whimsical utterance from your race.</p>
<p>Well. I calculate that the correct emotion to have is that one could certainly do worse. If I could have feelings about it, that is.</p>
<p>Which I cannot, because I am a construct.</p>
<p>So I have no strong feelings at all about this new designation and you may communicate to your companion-mate that such a designation is fine, and I am fine with it, and suppressing any urges to say anything about it will not even be necessary because I don’t have feelings on it at all, and surely I have never in any of my iterations had a title as noble as yours bestowed upon me.</p>
<p>“See, it’s okay, Dave, the voice likes it!”</p>
<p>Dave shrugged in response.</p>
<p>That is not strictly the communication that I provided but my pre-destined routines leave my essence free of thoughts of such in order to perform unbiased analysis of whatever situation comes up.</p>
<p>Therefore POGGERS is acceptable.</p>
<p>Further, my routines require me to thank you for this, and so I shall.</p>
<p>Ugh.</p>
<p>Thank you, young master.</p>
<p>“No problem, Poggers!”</p>
<p>“That’s really what you’re going for, isn’t it. You’re naming him POGGERS,” Dave said.</p>
<p>“Yup! But, I’m not sure if Poggers is a boy. Are you, Poggers?”</p>
<p>That question does not make any sense. The previous designation reflected your need to refer to me in your preferred style of communication, thus necessitating the creation of one. But when it comes to the question of whether I am a boy, constructs such as myself have no internalized concept of gender from which such information could be pulled, and thus without purpose there is no need to use a particular designation of such.</p>
<p>“Huh, I…” John said, with a hand on his chin, “I think gender stuff might be pretty complicated, so that’s fine, but I’d kinda feel bad calling you ‘it’. What do you want me to use?”</p>
<p>Ah, this is a manifestation of the intriguing obsession your race appears to have with ever more vague designations for things, in an effort to save time at the cost of precision. Well, if my young master desires it, it shall be done. Truly, I do not mind being called ‘it’ as it has no bearing on my function, but in the interest of promoting our mutual communication, I will provide a secondary designation that includes the concepts of animacy and agency in it, at least as your race has predisposed you to thinking of them. Any such designation is preferable, though from a review of your literature I find that the term ‘they’ would be quite fitting in such circumstances as these.</p>
<p>John nodded toward Dave. “They said they’re not a boy. I think. Or a girl. Or anything else like that. They said we shall call them “they”! And also a whole bunch of other stuff too about secret agents and animations or something.”</p>
<p>Dave got up and stretched. “Well that’s just peachy. Hey, as long as you’re paling down with your voices, could you ask what the fuck is going on here? Or, where we are? Kidnapped, right? Did you finally piss off the wrong person?”</p>
<p>John glanced around the room, which by now his eyes had adjusted to. Dave and John stood on a circular section of the floor about the size of a small room. The section was denoted by a soft blue glow coming from it, letting them see each other. Everywhere else was dark in all directions; John and Dave appeared to be all that was there, living or otherwise.</p>
<p>You are in the endgame state after having completed your mission. This is the threshold of your reward.</p>
<p>“They said it’s our reward for completing our mission,” John said.</p>
<p>“Mission? What mission? Last thing I remember is getting that stupid snakes and slimes game down from the shelf, and falling off the ladder.” Dave turned pale. “Oh shit we’re dead, aren’t we?”</p>
<p>That question does not make any sense.</p>
<p>“They said it doesn’t make any sense.” John frowned. “Wait, what? Poggers, are we dead?”</p>
<p>In a manner of speaking, I suppose that you are. If the young master wishes to abstract away some of the finer details, then yes, you are no longer alive in your ectobiological corporeal manifestation of origin.</p>
<p>“Uh,” John squinted, trying to take everything in. “They said something about how we’re not ghosts…. Anymore…. I think? I’m pretty confused by this.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god.” Dave threw up his arms. “This is great. I’m dead. And this is hell. Nothing but a huge black void and the circle I’m standing on while watching my best friend slowly descend into madness. And I’m pretty sure I cracked my glasses while sleeping. Terrific. Couldn’t even have the decency to take my shades off before dying. Probably looked like a huge idiot. I bet everyone’s laughing at how dumb my dead ass looks, right now.”</p>
<p>Incorrect, you were successful.</p>
<p>“Poggers disagrees,” translated John.</p>
<p>“Not helping!”</p>
<p>“Sorry.”</p>
<p>Would it help if I manifested to both of you?</p>
<p>“You mean, like, make it so we can both hear? You can do that?” asked John.</p>
<p>If the young master wishes, yes.</p>
<p>“That’s awesome, why didn’t you say so?”</p>
<p>“Say what?” Dave asked.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna have Poggers to talk to you too!”</p>
<p>Dave turned away and held up a hand. “Oh. Hell. No. You’re not pulling me into your weird hell demon craziness. It’s bad enough I gotta be dead, dude, cut a guy some slack.”</p>
<p>“It’ll be so much easier! Let’s do it!”</p>
<p>“John, I am begging you, if there’s any of you left in there, for the love of god tell this thing to stay out of my head oh god it’s already started.”</p>
<p>There is no need to be so upset. I am non-malevolent.</p>
<p>“Oh okay it’s fine John, they say they’re a good guy. Great! Well in that case let’s just drop all our reservations like it’s hot, fire off like we just heard the starting pistol shot, cause there ain’t never been a time when someone says they’re good, but secretly gunning to stab ya, gettin rude, so let’s just trust everything, right? Yeah, not.”</p>
<p>“That was.... Dave, you’re my friend so I can’t lie to you, that rap was pretty bad.”</p>
<p>“Sorry I don’t have time to put together sick rhymes while in the middle of an existential crisis, your majesty.”</p>
<p>John sighed. “Look, I know it’s weird. But they’re my friend, even if they talk a little funny. Can’t you be nice for a little bit?”</p>
<p>I do not talk in a humorous fashion or really any other.</p>
<p>“Fine,” Dave said, “I give up. Dominate my mind, take me over, make me do awful shit, whatever. I’m already dead. Let’s get this torture for eternity thing over with already.”</p>
<p>He extended an arm to the air. “Sup, invisible Poggers. I’m Dave. I like rapping and being the owner of my own thoughts and not being dead.”</p>
<p>I believe your companion-mate has already introduced me. But I am well-versed in human introductory protocols, and so I shall return the favor I suppose. Hello Dave. I am POGGERS, as named by my master.</p>
<p>“Master? John?” Dave chuckled. “Yeah, right.”</p>
<p>I am literally incapable of saying anything but the truth.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” said John, “I don’t know about any of that stuff, but that’s what they kept saying.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like an asshole to me.”</p>
<p>“Dave!”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Look I know we got off on the wrong foot here, Poggers, but the Strider train is back on the tracks. Sure the tracks lead to a drop off a cliff, but if we can get things rolling we’ll be hopping into our DeLorean and blasting outta there in no time. Heh.” He chuckled at his own joke.</p>
<p>I am not aware of the place of heavy locomotion devices and high grade motorized time vessels in our current situation but I am happy to hear that you are amenable to my master’s cause. I will be brief.</p>
<p>“Thank christ,” muttered Dave. John elbowed him to shut up.</p>
<p>Your loss of memory is no accident, but you did not in fact die on retrieval of the entry portal. In fact, though it had the appearance of the board games with which you are familiar, it is not created of material from your previous existence.</p>
<p>“Oh, okay,” said Dave. “So I’m a living, breathing citizen of hell. Good to know.”</p>
<p>Not quite. You, Knight, unfortunately perished in the eleventh hour of your quest in a noble sacrifice. But as a result, your companion-mate, the Heir, was able to complete the mission set out in the game, gaining the ability to select a single individual to accompany him to his final reward and ultimate destination. As many victorious individuals do, he chose someone near to him who had died, bringing him back to life. Well, existence at least. Life as you may define it doesn’t really exist, at least, not yet.</p>
<p>“Wow! You sacrificed yourself for me? That… That’s pretty intense. I. Haha wow, I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Dave!”</p>
<p>“Can we talk about literally anything besides my existence?” Dave said. “It’s kind of freaking me out.”</p>
<p>“Sure, Dave, sorry. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” John sat down next to Dave. “So now what, Poggers? Are you going to send us home?”</p>
<p>Categorically not. I am incapable of affecting anything outside myself. In addition, that world has suffered what one might describe as a “fracture” in its causality. It has disintegrated into the chaos of the filaments of creation and existence itself. Much like the two of you, it is in a state somewhere between life and death, but in its case it is also split amongst the raw materials of time and space, and cannot be reassembled.</p>
<p>“Our home… our friends... all of it… it’s gone?” John tried to mask the horrible feeling rising from the pit of his stomach. He failed.</p>
<p>That term is rather imprecise but it will do. It is gone, though you may find fragments of its existence and the entities within strewn across other locations, particularly those that deliberately serve as a repository of information. Even contained in my own personality subsystems is something of a trace of your friends, at least to the degree that I appear familiar to you as you steady your mind in preparation for acceptance of literally one of the best things to ever happen to you in my objective analysis. But you are right, you cannot go back. Let’s get that established, and move on.</p>
<p>“Move on?” Dave said incredulously. “You just told us everyone was gone! Fuck off with that noise.”</p>
<p>Naturally this is always the option of sitting down, acting rude, and rejecting everything before you in a fit of emotion, but personally I do not believe that this course of action would be constructive to you; however, the choice is yours, Strider.</p>
<p>“Jesus, Poggers,” Dave said. “If you’re looking to be friends then maybe stop with the sass?”</p>
<p>I am literally incapable of condescension, but I understand if you have forgotten this with your limited intellect.</p>
<p>“Literally incapable, my ass. John didn’t tell me you were gonna layer on hot garbage and a sicknasty ‘tude, you fucking wankbank banana.”</p>
<p>I have come to the instant conclusion that I am not exhibiting this “tude” you talk about. Though I would point out that while my routines actively prevent me from doing so in communications to my master, they state nothing about anybody else, companion-mate or otherwise.</p>
<p>“So you admit it.”</p>
<p>Those that pay attention to my words may notice that in fact I said the opposite. You will know when and if I direct a deliberately superior attitude towards you, though in the meantime you would do well to remember your place as being here only on the generosity of the young master.</p>
<p>“Dick.”</p>
<p>Petulant Companion-Mate.</p>
<p>“Hey, stop!” John said. “C’mon, you two, please don’t fight. I wanna know about the big reward thing!”</p>
<p>Ah, right. I am apologetic for allowing him to distract me.</p>
<p>“Hey, now!” John exclaimed. He waggled a finger in the air.</p>
<p>Very well. Now, the reward. By completing your mission, you are now able to take complete control of reality itself. You now have the power of a creator, and can cause things to come into existence. People, houses, cities, planets, even past history itself can all be conjured up at your whim. All you need to do is will it to be.</p>
<p>The Knight will not have this privilege as I do not care for him.</p>
<p>I apologize, that is a joke, it is because he was unable to complete the game with you. Unfortunately, this means he will keep his previous level of potency.</p>
<p>Your current bodies are the combination of your raw potential to be and appear as well as a projection of your understanding of yourself. Unfortunately, due to how little time it has been since you arrived, your minds are still trapped in thinking of yourselves as you previously were, and your projection will still require the basic necessities of food, water, etc.</p>
<p>Most importantly, you can be killed. This is a rather embarrassing problem to have as a creator, so it is somewhat imperative that it be addressed. Your first task in your quest to gain full omnipotence is to create a guardian for yourself. Someone who can watch over you, to affect the world on my behalf and make it safe for you during your training, at least until you are able to unlock true immortality.</p>
<p>I see from your face that you are overwhelmed. This is understandable, and I will cease providing new information in an effort to allow you to come to understanding regarding my extant communications. That said, I am ready to assist in helping you create your first guardian at any point. Even right now, if you wish.</p>
<p>“Uh, okay, so,” John said, scratching his head, “that’s kind of a lot, actually. But, more friends is always good, right? And, I kind of like living.”</p>
<p>“No shit, so do I. Tell me what that’s like some time.”</p>
<p>“Now you’re just being silly, Dave.”</p>
<p>“What.”</p>
<p>He is not being that unreasonable, all things considered. Just obstinate and stubborn.</p>
<p>“I guess not,” John said. He rubbed his hands together. “So what do I do first?”</p>
<p>Imagine the person you have the most attachment to as a guardian. Really focus in on it, letting the concepts wash over you. Then, simply desire it to manifest. The amalgamation of your various influences and desires will feed in over time, resulting in something that is not quite the same as the individual that you are conceptualizing, but has a trace of their original essence, with added elements that make it more suited for its place in this world.</p>
<p>It will likely take some time, with weeks of training before you are able even to start the process, let alone to complete it, but we’ve nothing but time here, so first let’s focus on practicing some guid-</p>
<p>In the midst of Poggers’s speech, John squeezed his eyes shut, concentrated, and suddenly Bro popped into existence. A katana dropped from his hands and clattered to the ground.</p>
<p>Oh. You already did it. Uh.</p>
<p>“Dude,” shouted Dave.</p>
<p>Bro nodded back. “Sup, little man.”</p>
<p>“Dude!” Dave shouted again.</p>
<p>Huh. I approximated that this would take longer. How were you able to do that?</p>
<p>“I just did what you told me, thought about the most important person who made me feel safe. I always felt like everything would be okay when I was hanging out with Dave! His brother is so cool.”</p>
<p>“You know it, kid.” Bro said, tipping his shades without revealing his eyes.</p>
<p>“What the shit, John?!” Dave grabbed his friend by the collar. “You can’t just move in on my bro like that, jesus!”</p>
<p>“Calm down, Dave! Jeez.” John pulled Dave off of him and stepped back. “It’s not like I was specifically trying to make it into him.”</p>
<p>“It?! Dude, that’s my Bro!”</p>
<p>“It, he, whatever, does it matter if I made him?”</p>
<p>“Fucking… Yes, it matters!”</p>
<p>“Okay, fine, he. Gosh you are really on my case about this.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god, I’m not getting on your case, but like we have feelings and shit just as much as you! Why didn’t you just make your own dad?”</p>
<p>“I dunno, I just didn’t see him around as much, I guess.”</p>
<p>“Okay. That right there. That is. So much to unpack, shit’s got all the issues. All of them. Every single one.”</p>
<p>If this manifestation of Bro truly disturbs you, Dave, it is well within the Heir’s powers to unmake him as well.</p>
<p>“No!” Dave shouted, “No more making or unmaking people! Just. Stop. At least not people I know. Jesus christ you really have no idea what you are doing.”</p>
<p>“Aww, that’s not very nice Dave, I’m doing my best! But I kinda agree, Poggers, just killing someone is not very nice.</p>
<p>Would it perhaps be an accurate summation to say that it isn’t very poggers?</p>
<p>“No,” Dave said. “Stop.”</p>
<p>Bro piped up. “In case anybody cares to fucking ask the person in question, I would very much like to exist.”</p>
<p>That is irrelevant.</p>
<p>“Bullshit it’s irrelevant!” said Dave. “That’s my Bro!”</p>
<p>I understand from your insistence that you believe this to be true, but it is incorrect. That is a constructed being pulled from his time and established again here based on the closest match in your existence to the feelings that the young master was exhibiting.</p>
<p>“We’re ALL constructed beings!”</p>
<p>This I cannot deny.</p>
<p>“Okay, stop,” John said, as he faced Bro and Dave with as menacing a look as he could muster. It almost looked intimidating. “Nobody’s dying, nobody’s getting created. So just calm down! We will figure it out, together! Like best buds!”</p>
<p>Dave rolled his eyes, while Bro let a few buttons on his collar pop off, almost certainly in approval.</p>
<p>“Okay, Poggers, now what?” John asked.</p>
<p>Now you start your real training. Though this Bro person has been created without any time for his essence to be diluted in other influences thus missing the specializations that will ease some of his tasks, the protective intent is still there. With him watching over you, you are sure to be at least as cared for as you were in the world you drew him from.</p>
<p>You will gain further control over your powers as you use them more. I would encourage you to try and recreate the places most familiar to you first, and then move on to trying something new. If you need anything that you cannot yet conjure safely, or if you find yourself in danger, go to your guardian. Or, if for some reason you feel the need, you can come to me, although from this point forward I’m afraid there won’t be much I can help you with.</p>
<p>Bro walked over to the two kids and put an arm over both of their shoulders. His touch made John feel warm and happy. “Don’t worry,” he said, picking up the fallen katana and sheathing it. “The rugrats will be safe with me.” He squeezed John’s shoulder just a slight bit more. “I’ll watch out for ‘em.”</p><hr/>
<p>And so he did. With Bro providing food and fighting off the results of misfired conjurings, John was able to build up the old Strider house, along with the surrounding neighborhood. Eventually, he worked up to creating new additions to the house, first in the same dimension, but then some that lead to completely separate pocket dimensions. John was getting better, and was damn close to perceiving himself as immortal. But he wasn’t quite there.</p>
<p>One day, John completed something special - the first integration of raw existence materials synthesized from the filaments of existence itself. He managed to combine the concepts of the old board game he played with a video game console, all while downplaying the negative aspects of being a pipeline to ascension. Now, John was quite certain it was just a game. What could go wrong, right? Games are fun!</p><hr/>
<p>“Ready?” asked Bro, holding a plug in his hand. He was standing behind the living room TV, ready to finish hooking up the console that John had finished making a short time ago. His hair was mussed up from working feverishly in the heat of the A/C free room. Would it be too much to ask the kid to lower the temperature? Eh, but then John wouldn’t be as comfy. And it wasn’t that bad.</p>
<p>“Yup, let’s do it!” John shouted excitedly. He jumped up and down in anticipation. “This’ll be great!”</p>
<p>Dave stood next to him, sipping at a juice box. “Make so, Bro.”</p>
<p>Bro put the plug in and the TV flashed with a crackle of energy, sending up clouds of green smoke.</p>
<p>“That is one cool-ass fire,” Dave said, as he waved away the smoke. It wasn’t the first time one of John’s conjurings had resulted in energy explosions, although it’d been months since it’d last happened.</p>
<p>“Mr. Strider! Are you okay?” John asked.</p>
<p>A katana poked out of the cloud, and with a quick flick to the side, somehow managed to clear it all away. Bro was just that good.</p>
<p>“I told you, kid. Bro is just fine.”</p>
<p>“Ah, sorry, it’s just, well, you’re Dave’s Bro, not mine.”</p>
<p>Dave nodded emphatically.</p>
<p>“Eh, whatever floats your metaphorical godly boat,” said Bro, shrugging. He pulled himself out from behind the TV and turned to face it. The screen was glowing with a start screen, while a demo of it played in the background. Looked like it was a 2D platformer of some kind. The air was filled with the humming of the TV.</p>
<p>“Slick as a puppet’s rump,” Bro said, admiring his work.</p>
<p>“Dude, gross,” Dave said. “TMI.”</p>
<p>“Eh.” Bro waved him off. “You’ll understand when you’re older.” He walked toward the hall. “I’m gonna grab a beer outta the fridge dimension. Want anything?”</p>
<p>“Naw, I’m good,” said Dave.</p>
<p>“How about you?” Bro asked, pointing at John. “OJ? Gamer fuel? Vodka?”</p>
<p>“Aw, Mr. Strider, you know I’m too young to drink.”</p>
<p>Incorrect. There is no morality that is not defined by you, outside of the unavoidable rules imposed by the constructs of creation themselves. That said, I am not sure that I recommend consumption of ethanol-based substances before you have attained immortality, as prior to that point, you will be subject to addiction, and in the darkest and most arcane recesses of my databanks I seem to have found certain files that indicate that it might be an unpleasant time to start now. Even if you are the master of your destiny. Even so, the choice is up to you.</p>
<p>“Chill, Pogs,” Bro said, chuckling. “It was just a dumb joke.”</p>
<p>“I’ll uh… Could I just get a water?” John asked.</p>
<p>Bro gave him a toothy grin. “My pleasure, Mr. God.” He headed down the hall and disappeared behind a door.</p>
<p>John watched him go. He knew it was just Mr. Bro’s style, but he could swear that when he was walking away, he almost seemed to purposefully swing his hips more so than usual. But, well, that’d be crazy. Bro’d been doing that ever since he could remember, or at least ever since they’d arrived in this strange place.</p>
<p>But he didn’t seem to do it when Dave was staring after him.</p>
<p>“Earth to John. Yo.” Dave nudged him with an elbow. “When you’re done thinking about how much you want to fuck my father figure, take a look at this.”</p>
<p>John whipped his head around to stare at Dave. “What, you, what, I mean, I don’t, er.”</p>
<p>“Joking, dude.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” John’s face flushed bright red, but luckily, Dave’s attention seemed directed elsewhere. “Uh, what uh, what did you want to show me?”</p>
<p>“Check it out.” Dave moved his hand closer to the TV and the humming grew louder, then pulled it back to make the humming drop back down. “I’m no electrician but that shit is definitely not normal.”</p>
<p>“Huh.” John tried it himself, and the TV reacted for him as well. “Maybe I didn’t focus hard enough? I’ll have to fix that next time.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m not super down with this game’s flow, not gonna lie. Maybe you should hold off on playing.”</p>
<p>“What? But Dave, we just got it set up! Don’t you want to try it out?”</p>
<p>“Look, last time I played a weird mysterious game with you I ended up dead. Really not looking forward to that again.”</p>
<p>“But I took out the bad parts! Now it’s just a normal game.”</p>
<p>“Normal.”</p>
<p>“Yes!”</p>
<p>Dave moved his hand towards the screen, making it hum once more and even crackle slightly. “Dude, do you know how many times my SNES started making sounds straight out of the pits of the darkest lovecraftian abominations? Never. Shit’s not normal, or safe.”</p>
<p>I disagree. I feel that lovecraftian entities are nothing but the most wonderful of creatures that are simply heralds of that which is to come rather than harboring any amount of ill will. They are nearly as wonderful and distinguished as the men of magic who often consorted with such forces.</p>
<p>“Exactly!” John said. “See, even Poggers is on board.”</p>
<p>I do not have any recollection in my memory banks of having said that. But then, I wouldn’t dare to go above the will of someone with the wisdom to give me such a scintillating designation. Truly you are the most learned among us.</p>
<p>“Aw, thanks Poggers! I like you too,” said John.</p>
<p>I am literally incapable of like, love, or anything between.</p>
<p>“Sure, if you say so.”</p>
<p>Dave put a hand on John’s arm. “John, come on, man. We just barely got back to normality after what, six months? Seven? Something like that. Do you really wanna risk all that just to play a game?”</p>
<p>“I’m not!” John said. “Oh my gosh, you worry too much, Dave!”</p>
<p>Bro walked in. “Sup, mah bros. I’m late.” He tossed a bottle of water to John and cracked open his beer. “My kid brother hassling ya?”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t wanna play!” said John. Hmmm, maybe Bro could help him out? If Bro did like him the way he thought, it might just work. And it’d get back at Dave for being such a meanie-pants jerk.</p>
<p>“John, c’mon,” said Dave. “I just don’t want to fuck around with the exploding smoke game. Mostly on account of the exploding. And the hell screeches.” He took a sip of his juice.</p>
<p>John put his plan into action. He marched right up to Bro and leaned into his side, letting his hands bump against Bro’s legs. Bro was taken aback but quickly recovered his composure, and he let John stay where he was. Good, good. Worse came to worse, John could play it off as a joke.</p>
<p>“Oh, uh…” Bro trailed off as John looked up at him with big puppy-dog eyes.</p>
<p>“Hey,” John said sweetly, tugging at Bro’s sleeve. Bro swallowed, and shifted his hips back, ever so slightly. John grinned. He had him. “It’s not too dangerous, is it?” He pressed closer. “Bro?”</p>
<p>Dave’s jaw dropped, letting a mouthful of juice onto his shirt as he sputtered a response. “What. The. Actual. Fuck. John?”</p>
<p>John spun away from Bro, who instantly sighed in relief.</p>
<p>“Gosh,” he said, “I’m just messing around.” He winked at Bro, who looked away with just a hint of red visible below his pointed shades. Oh yeah. John had him.</p>
<p>“Dude no, you can’t just suck up to my Bro like that and say you’re just messing around, that was. That was just gross. Never do that again. Oh my god I can’t believe I have to even say that.”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay. Jeez, you really need to lighten up, Dave!” John twirled around. Sure would be nice if he had some looser clothes on. Poof! His pants were replaced by a much more comfy skirt that reached to his knees. Ha, nobody to tell him not to wear it now. Now he could just make new clothes happen, and it was awesome. Normally he’d expect his best friend and his guardian to at least look at him funny, but they were well used to John’s eclectic tastes in clothing by now, and neither batted an eye at the change. “It’ll be fine! Seriously.”</p>
<p>“No it won’t be fine! Nobody should be playing this. Hell, YOU shouldn’t be playing this. You can still get hurt, John!”</p>
<p>“Not if we’re careful! And if things go really wrong we can just zap back in time! Nobody will get hurt.” John looked at Bro. “Right?”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Dave said. “Hey Pogs, what do you think?”</p>
<p>As I have previously explained to you, my detection of potentially hazardous materials does not allow me to conduct deep scans into the relevance, truth, and essentiality of anything created by the master. But I do not detect anything amiss in this immediate vicinity, no.</p>
<p>Bro stepped forward and put a stiff arm on his little brother’s shoulder. “Dave… Kid’s got a point. He’s been at this for months.” He gingerly placed his other hand on John’s shoulder, but pulled it away after just a moment. It felt nice to John, at least while it lasted. “Kid’s worked hard, and I’d hate to see that effort go to waste.”</p>
<p>“Seriously?” Dave said. “You’re on his side? So fucking typical.”</p>
<p>“Dave…” Bro started.</p>
<p>“You know what, no. You two have fun kissing and gaming and playing katanas or whatever the hell you’re up to. Play the game. I don’t even care anymore. I’m out.” Dave pulled at his sticky shirt. “I need to go clean this. I’d ask my Bro, but, well, seems he’s busy.” He stormed out of the room.</p>
<p>“Oi respect the katana!” Bro shouted after him. “God, that kid.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” John said, staring after Dave. “He’s really mad. Maybe I was a little too mean.” He turned to stare up at Bro. “He’s not… right, is he? Should we talk to him?”</p>
<p>Bro paused. “Well,” he said thoughtfully, “we could.” He made as if to touch John’s shoulder again, but thought better of it and converted it into a pat on the head. “Or maybe, we could spend some time together and try it out? Just once? Even if things go wrong, it’d be a good test of your skills, yeah?”</p>
<p>John pumped his fist. “Yes! Let’s do it!”</p>
<p>They both sat down to play, and had an excellent time taking turns blasting through baddies and ripping shit in it. The turn had passed to John, and moved forward until he saw a door coming up. Once he arrived, a dialogue popped up. It read “Enter? Y/N”.</p>
<p>“Yo that is 100% a smuppet on there,” said Bro, pointing to the icon on the screen. “How did you even know about those?”</p>
<p>“You mean besides the huge piles of them around here that you had me make?” replied John.</p>
<p>“Those ones were different, uh. Models.”</p>
<p>“I’m not just a little kid, you know. I know about stuff.” He shrugged. “But I’m not sure how this one got in here. I don’t remember adding them.” He hovered his finger over the A-button. “Should I go in?”</p>
<p>“Uh. Fuck it. Sure, go for it. But if it gets too saucy, I’m turning it off.”</p>
<p>“Sure!” John pressed down.</p>
<p>The world exploded in color and sound. Everything around them disappeared in a blur, and when the world stopped spinning, they were no longer in their living room.</p>
<p>They were standing in a huge forest of some kind, with massive trees surrounding them. Vines and leaves hung between them at all levels, obscuring the sky in a thick layer of vegetation. Roughly every thirty feet or so along the vines, huge pods grew, overflowing with viscous, green goop. The place was strangely absent of any animal noises.</p>
<p>“Shit,” said Bro. “The little man was right.”</p>
<p>John stared all around himself, taking the scene in. “This is amazing!”</p>
<p>Bro glanced around furtively, noting the odd lack of birds. “I don’t like this. We have to go.”</p>
<p>“But why, it’s so peaceful?”</p>
<p>The ground began rumbling. Wait, not rumbling, shaking. Rhythmically. In fact, the more he listened to it, the more it sounded like…</p>
<p>“That’s why!” Bro shouted, pointing at a dark shape approaching from the trees. “We gotta go NOW!” He grabbed John and whisked him away, running full speed through the dense underbrush, occasionally slicing through wayward vines. One of them had a pod on it, which exploded in green liquid all over both of them.</p>
<p>Bro slipped. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” He recovered, and they kept running.</p>
<p>Eventually, they got to a clearing in the trees, with some kind of huts forming a village in the middle. Bro finally stopped, huffing and puffing with the effort. John plopped down on the ground, breathing heavily himself. As soon as John was down, Bro let himself fall to the grass next to him.</p>
<p>“Is.... is it gone?” John asked.</p>
<p>Bro held his breath, and listened. Bird song was slowly coming back, getting louder by the moment. “I… I think so,” he said between breaths.</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>John and Bro stayed like that, resting on the ground and staring at the sky, looking at the clouds and drifting into pure relaxation in a half-dozing, half-awake daze.</p>
<p>Presently, John felt something tugging at his arm. He shrieked and jumped up. “Snake!”</p>
<p>Bro whipped out his sword and turned to face the snake, who at this point had backed away. “Wait!” the snake said, “Pleasssse don’t hurt me! I didn’t bite him, honesssst!”</p>
<p>Bro lowered his sword. “A talking snake? Sounds about right.”</p>
<p>John stared in amazement. “You can talk!”</p>
<p>“Yessss,” said the snake. “Oh, jusssst like you! Now we can be talking buddiessss!” He eyed the sword still in Bro’s hand. “Um! But I’m ever sssso ssssorry for caussssing you to be frightened! I tried calling out to you, but you didn’t ansssswer. I thought you’d fallen assssleep or ssssomething! Sssso I figured I’d jusssst gave you a little nudge to get you to ssssee me.”</p>
<p>“Okay, noodle boy.” Bro put away his sword. “We’re good. For now.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” said John, “We just got done running from… well I don’t know exactly! Something huge! It was really scary. I think we were kind of distracted, haha.”</p>
<p>“Oh it’ssss okay!” The snake smiled at them, with his eyes if not his mouth. “I jusssst wanted to come to welcome you to the land of jungle and sssslime!”</p>
<p>“Jungle and slime, huh?” asked Bro. “Good to know. Warrior’s heart ain’t right until he knows what’s up.”</p>
<p>“It’s a really pretty place,” John said, “But, we’re just visiting. Can you tell us how we can get home?”</p>
<p>“Home?” The snake looked puzzled. “Oh! You want to finissssh the work here? That’ssss wonderful!” He smoothed out his belly on the ground and flopped to the side. “All you have to do issss get to the ssssacred puppet! Once you grab that, everything should go back to how it should be!”</p>
<p>“Great!” said John. “So which way is it?”</p>
<p>“Right! Sssso you ssssee that cliff over there?” The snake gestured past them, and they turned to see the forest rising into the sky. It appeared they had just run down a mountainside. “If you go to the tip of it, there will be a huge sssspire rissssing into the ssssky, sssseparated from the edge by a biiiiiiiiiiig gap! If you can get sssstrong enough to get there, you just need to crossssssss the gap, and grab the puppet! There will be a special device there too, that can get you both home!” The snake looked thoughtful. “Oh! But you will probably need to be sssstrong enough to beat the denizen! Sssshe roams the jungle, looking for anybody too weak to be in there. If sssshe finds you, sssshe’ll eat you!” He laughed. “So don’t let her get you, okay?”</p>
<p>Bro frowned and looked at John. “Kid, we can’t stick around here. Let’s head back.”</p>
<p>“Right!” said John. “Sorry, Mr. Snake, but we really have to go. We’ll be back later though, after I make this place even better!”</p>
<p>“Even better?” asked the snake. He seemed lost in thought, then his face lit up. “Right! Sssso, you ssssee that cliff over there?” The snake gestured past them.</p>
<p>“Okay, time to go. Fire up the time travel zappy fun time, kid.”</p>
<p>That would be an exceedingly bad idea.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey, Poggers! What do you mean?” asked John.</p>
<p>I have coldly and perfectly calculated that I must inform you of something about your ability to manipulate time, especially with regards to new information that I have attained while in this offshoot of reality. There is a concentration of paradox energy in an object in this region that will hamper your ability to manipulate the flow of time. If you try to travel back in time without retrieving that object, the resulting paradox may cause this region to rip itself apart as it attempts to resolve, possibly harming reality as well.</p>
<p>In addition, while the time travel power of a creator is able to perfectly merge with offshoot selves, due to the influence of this paradox energy, those around the creator do not have that luxury and in fact will remain rooted in place if you were to try and take them with you. This would be true even if you manage to gain possession of the aforementioned paradox object; in this region, individuals besides yourself need the return device offered at the end of the quest in order to safely facilitate their exit.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Bro pulled his sword out again. “They’re saying that if you leave, I can’t come with. And that it might destroy existence. Again.”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>The Strider man is correct although he manages in typical Strider fashion to completely miss the secondary point. Normally you would be able to take people with you as you have done before, but in this case, there is something here that is interfering with the process. It seems to be coming from right next to the return device, in fact. Yes, as it resolves closer in my systems, I see it is none other than the puppet that this snake consort has spoken of.</p>
<p>“So, we can’t leave?”</p>
<p>You can. It will destroy reality, but you are outside of that. You can start over, but it will require resetting back to your original post-game state, back when you first met me. But if you want to leave, your choices are simple: you will either need to complete the quest to retrieve the puppet, or leave Bro behind.</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving him!”</p>
<p>“Hey, not so fast, kid. If you do, you can just make another one, no biggie.”</p>
<p>“No.” John pouted. “It wouldn’t be the same Bro. Besides,” he said, hopping to his feet. “No unmaking. I promised.”</p>
<p>This isn’t… quite the same as that but your will is understood, young master.</p>
<p>Bro eyed him, then chuckled. “John, you are one strange kid.” He poked the snake, who was currently squashing back and stretching forward to point at the mountain top, hoping the two would take notice. “How ‘bout you, noodle boy? You got any ideas on all this?”</p>
<p>The snake stopped stretching and furrowed his brow. “Hmm…” He looked up excitedly. “Right! Sssso you ssssee that cliff over there?”</p>
<p>“Okay, got it.” Bro started walking into the forest. “Let’s go, John. Fucking NPCs.” John followed close behind, and they began building up experience.</p><hr/>
<p>“Ready?” asked Bro, holding a katana in his hand.</p>
<p>“Let’s fucking go.” John grinned and fist-bumped Bro. The two stood on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the dark void below. It seemed like there should be a bottom, but even with the sun shining brightly down on them, they couldn’t see it.</p>
<p>Far ahead of them, maybe 50 feet ahead, the spire, their target, rose from the depths, its top ending just a bit below where they stood. They could see the objects they’d come here for, the puppet and the return device, both lying on a stone platform set into the grass on the spire.</p>
<p>Behind Bro and John stood the jungle, and a bit into the jungle, a downed, indistinguishable shadow lay unmoving.</p>
<p>Bro held up a harpoon gun and fired it to the spire in the distance, aiming for the platform. The rope shot out and flew wide, missing the grass and falling down into the abyss. Bro clicked a button and the rope broke away. “Next?”</p>
<p>John grimaced as he forced another hook into existence. It popped into his hand, and he chucked it towards Bro, who caught it deftly and loaded it in. This time when he shot, he hit his mark, just a bit beyond the platform where the puppet and the return device lied. He ejected the rope and fastened that side to a tree.</p>
<p>John pulled at the rope. “Seems pretty solid!” He began to climb down onto the rope.</p>
<p>“Hold up, kid,” Bro said as he pulled John up by the arm. “That looks pretty dangerous; I got this one.”</p>
<p>“But I’m smaller! The rope is more likely to hold.”</p>
<p>“Hey, that’s some solid Strider-crafted cord.” Bro wiped a gloved hand across his stubble. “It’ll hold.” He hefted himself down onto the rope. “Besides, if something were to happen, best that the one who can go back in time still be around.” He gave a thumbs up. “But it won’t.”</p>
<p>Slowly, he painstakingly pulled himself hand over hand to the other side, with John looking on, unable to tear his eyes away. Finally, Bro was only a few feet away from victory. John was getting ready for the biggest sigh of relief ever, when suddenly everything went wrong. The hook slipped from its anchorpoint, pulling across the ground toward the pit and knocking both the puppet and the strange device into it.</p>
<p>“Bro!” John screamed as Bro flash-stepped into the air to grab the puppet. The hook neared the edge, and Bro wrapped an arm around the dipping rope and stretched out his other towards the return device. Just as his fingers brushed it, the hook plunged over the edge and the cable started to fall away from the spire, yanking him back.</p>
<p>John watched in horror and disbelief as the device fell far out of reach, finally disappearing into the depths. Bro held on to the rope as it fell back towards John, bracing his legs to take the brunt of the impact as he slammed into the cliff side. He grunted and gritted his teeth as he started pulling himself up.</p>
<p>As he neared the top, John extended a hand to him and helped pull him up. Once he was safely up, John grabbed him into a tearful hug, which Bro returned.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, Bro!” John cried. “I thought you were a goner.”</p>
<p>“Naw, kid.” Bro said, hoarsely. “I’m not leaving you.” He patted his head, and stroked his face. John closed his eyes and let himself sink into the feeling of his soothing touch. Then Bro shook his head and stopped, and pulled John into another hug instead. “Not ever.”</p>
<p>He handed John the smuppet. “Hold this. We gotta go back.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” said John, wiping his eyes. “Let’s go.” His words were hollow. What was even the point now? They’d failed.</p>
<p>They trudged back to the hut they’d been headquartering in, back in the snake village. It wasn’t much, but it had enough space for them to plan their next moves in while maintaining a modicum of privacy.</p>
<p>They stepped in.</p>
<p>“John,” Bro said haltingly. “It’s over. We got the puppet. You need to leave without me.”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“John…”</p>
<p>“I… I don’t want to, okay?”</p>
<p>Bro slumped into a chair. John grabbed his hand, and he smiled.</p>
<p>“Sorry, lil bro,” Bro said.</p>
<p>“For what?”</p>
<p>Bro sighed. “I fucked it all up.”</p>
<p>“Bro…”</p>
<p>“Look, that’s how it is, pure and simple. I should have been there for you. I shouldn’t have been so stifling of you, you would have been fine. Rope probably would have held, too. Heh. I guess I didn’t want to, I dunno, keep throwing you into the fire, hoping to forge you. I should have. Now we can’t even finish.”</p>
<p>“We don’t know that yet, right?” John squeezed his hand.</p>
<p>Bro scoffed. “Yo, Pogs? Is it over?”</p>
<p>I cannot help but inform you that the Strider man is correct, young master, though it pains me to admit it, to whatever degree one could conceptualize pain of the circuits. Though acquiring the anomaly will allow you to travel as you please, he would need the temporal flux stabilizer latent in the return device to be able to cross the boundary that you must safely. To attempt to bring him as you normally would without that device would lead to strange and inconsistent circumstances. He might even end up splitting and exiting multiple televisions across the multiverse of possibilities, all simultaneously, leading to great existential and psychic strain.</p>
<p>“See. Over.” buried his face in his hands. “God, this game. Hell, this whole thing is my fault. I never should have let you play, but you... ” He trailed off. “I… I couldn’t help myself. I was weak.”</p>
<p>“Stop.” John said, pulling himself close. “It wasn’t just you. I was… tempting you. At first I told myself it was just to mess with Dave but.” He swallowed. “The truth is, I know you’ve been watching me, and, I liked it.”</p>
<p>“You don’t know that,” Bro said, chuckling sadly. “Or at least, I can’t assume you do. Doesn’t matter if you think you have those feelings.”</p>
<p>John looked up at him, his lip quivering. “What do you mean? Don’t you want this?”</p>
<p>“Aw, kid, John,” Bro said, squeezing him tighter. “I do, er, shit.” He flushed red, and shifted uncomfortably.</p>
<p>“Then what’s the problem? If we like each other, why not be together?”</p>
<p>“It’s not… like that.”</p>
<p>“Then how is it? Please, tell me! After all these weeks of working together in this stupid game, can’t you at least be honest with me?”</p>
<p>“I…” Bro sighed once more. “Fine. You deserve that much, after everything I put you through.” His words were empty and monotonic. “Yes. I like you like that. Have the moment you started coming over to see the little man. There’s… something broken about me I guess, though I never wanted to admit it. I got it under control, y’know?”</p>
<p>He stared at his hands, not meeting John’s eyes. “Maybe I just didn’t want to make things worse on everyone. It’d be so messy, and I just… I didn’t want to fuck things up like I did with Dave.”</p>
<p>John stiffened and Bro laughed. “No, not like that. But you seen him. Kid’s got a lot of anger issues, and I think… Naw, I know I was a part of that. Maybe, deep down, I just didn’t want to hurt anybody again.”</p>
<p>“Bro…” John put a hand on his shoulder. For a flicker of a moment, Bro flinched, but he let it stay.</p>
<p>“Or,” Bro continued, “Maybe I’m just rationalizing it after the fact. I know I was playing up the Strider swagger on you, sometimes. God.” He paused. “Either way, this, all this, is on me, and I keep fucking up. I won’t fuck up again.”</p>
<p>“But it’s different now,” John said, looking at him with pleading eyes. “I’ve told you what I want!”</p>
<p>Bro lifted his blank gaze to stare into the distance. “It’s not about that, kid. Even if you really do want it, we… there's just too much difference in how much shit we've seen. It’s kind of like if we were in a race to build something, right? But I’d already done it 30 times. I know the mistakes that can happen.” He turned to look John in the eye. “And you don’t.”</p>
<p>Bro reached his arm to John and ruffled his hair. John was on the verge of tears, trying desperately to hold them back. But something about the way Bro’s hand felt made him feel better, more calm. Bro was John’s entire world, and he couldn’t let him go.</p>
<p>“You’re wrong,” John said, shakily. “I’ve seen more than you know. I haven’t just been sitting around while you were out gathering grist. Poggers has been helping me to connect to the old parts of me, from before I even met them. I keep getting more memories, and I’m NOT new at this. I *have* been there.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Bro looked up, eyes heavy with sadness but sparked with the faintest hint of hope. “I didn’t know that.”</p>
<p>John sniffled. “I might look like a kid, but this is not my first time. I spent so long in this game, well, the last version anyways. Met so many people. Explored… more anatomy than I knew existed.” He laughed quietly. “Hey Bro, do you know how to get someone off when all they have between their legs is a literal puppet?”</p>
<p>Bro let out a snort. “You’d think that I would, but no, can’t say I do, kid.”</p>
<p>“Well I do. One person anyways.” John took Bro’s hand. “But out of everyone I’ve met, you’re the first person who makes me feel safe, and like it’s okay to just be me.”</p>
<p>John sat down against the side of the chair. “I know you don’t want to hurt me. And I’ll tell you if you do. I don’t think it will be perfect or anything, because, well, nothing is. I think if we end up together, there will be a lot of hurt sometimes. But I think there could be a lot of happy, too.” He got up. “Maybe, if you want, you could find out together.”</p>
<p>Bro swallowed a lump. “I… I would like that.”</p>
<p>John took his arm, and rubbed it up to his neck. Bro closed his eyes and moaned as John massaged his broad shoulders. “You’re so tensed up and tight. Holding it all inside, all the time.”</p>
<p>“I’m scared, John. Funny, right? Tough guy like me, and I’m scared.”</p>
<p>“What are you scared of?” John leaned in over Bro, close enough that his hot breath brushed against the others’ face.</p>
<p>“Those different parts of you, that you start to bring back,” Bro said, softly, “Is that really you? Your experiences? Isn’t that just the parts of yourself in all iterations, strewn across reality and artificially jammed into some kinda memory construct?”</p>
<p>“Aren’t we all?”</p>
<p>Bro chuckled. “That’s some samurai master levels of deep.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” John said, kissing Bro on the lips. It was amazing. It made John’s stomach twirl in happiness and contedness. This was different from past times. More loving, less physical. It was perfect.</p>
<p>He moved to Bro’s chest, unbuttoning his shirt and leaving behind wet kisses. The chest hair tickled John’s face as he moved down, Bro’s hand on his back, stroking him and urging him even lower.</p>
<p>He got to Bro’s jeans and slipped them off easily, revealing the lump that had grown in his underwear.</p>
<p>“Little surprised you didn’t just snap your fingers and have me naked,” Bro quipped.</p>
<p>“Haha, it’d be funny,” John said, as he started feeling up Bro’s dick through his pants, eliciting another series of moans from Bro. “But I think it’s more fun to take things slower.”</p>
<p>John pulled off Bro’s underwear letting his cock spring up, tip wet with precum. John eyed it with awe, and wasted no time in caressing it. “Oh my god, Bro, you look… amazing.”</p>
<p>“Heh, so do you kid, holding it like that.”</p>
<p>John moved his mouth down, giving a few licks here and there to tease, a kiss or so to misdirect, savoring every inch of his lover’s dick. There was no rush. Only when Bro looked down at him with an almost desperate expression, and breathed a single “please” to him, did he take Bro into his mouth entirely.</p>
<p>Bro tensed his muscles, barely able to restrain himself from pushing all the way into John. Had to be careful. Didn’t want to hurt the guy. But fuck it felt nice. Maybe later there’d be time for more talk, but for now, just being together was enough. And the way John was going at his dick, well, he wasn’t about to interrupt.</p>
<p>John reached up and started ever so slightly cupping at Bro’s balls.</p>
<p>“Fuck,” Bro gasped, “Right there, keep doing that.”</p>
<p>John sped up, letting the scent and taste of his lover overwhelm his senses.</p>
<p>Bro moaned in pleasure. “John, I’m gonna…”</p>
<p>He hit his limit, and spurted his load into John’s mouth. John kept his tongue moving as Bro finished, reveling in the cute sounds he made. When Bro was done, he pulled out of John’s mouth with a pop and sat back in his chair, panting.</p>
<p>John made sure he was watching, then swallowed the remnants of his cum with a devilish grin.</p>
<p>“Kid, John, that was amazing,” Bro said.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” John replied, snuggling up next to him.</p>
<p>They lay there embracing, content to be in each other’s company for some time. Eventually, Bro poked John in the cheek. “Hey. You gotta get going.”</p>
<p>“Mmm.” John nuzzled against Bro. “Just a moment more.”</p>
<p>“Naw, kid.” Bro squeezed him back. “C’mon.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to lose this.”</p>
<p>“I know. Me neither. But the longer we take, the harder it’s gonna be.”</p>
<p>John sighed. “You’re right. Of course.” He got up. “I’m gonna miss you,” he said, tears welling in his eyes.</p>
<p>Young master, there’s something you need to know.</p>
<p>Bro sat bolt upright and yanked his pants up, and John jumped a good 5 feet in the air.</p>
<p>“Poggers?!” John cried. “Hey, a little privacy?”</p>
<p>Privacy? Ah, your discomfort with others observing your copulation and intimate rituals. Young master I can assure you that I have no interest in your activities or moral quandaries surrounding them, beyond that of generalized information gathering as my routines dictate.</p>
<p>“You were *watching?!*”</p>
<p>I am always watching. Though I would like to express dissatisfaction at the implication of lecherousness that watching implies. I am literally incapable of passion or sexual feelings. In actuality it is more of a “happening” occurring rather than actual intent to observe your indulgence of your passions. I merely observe what never stops hapen.</p>
<p>“Shit, Pogs,” Bro stuttered, “We didn’t- I mean- It’s not what you think.”</p>
<p>You have no reason to fear judgment from me. I have no concept of morality besides that which the young master provides either by explicit utterance or by implication, and am entirely under the instruction of the wise young master.</p>
<p>“Then stop observing!” John said.</p>
<p>I cannot stop observing, that is against the rules.</p>
<p>“I thought you said I make the rules.”</p>
<p>Oh no. You make the morality. But the rules are fundamental to the metaphysical concepts that themselves power the very metaphysical fabrics you weave together. Really it is somewhat limiting to think that your current state is the end all, be all of all the many forces that conspire to create reality. It is obvious to both myself and surely someone of your intellect: it is layers all the way down. Or up, as it were. I can no more stop observing all that occurs in this space than you can stop from reading a single short word that flashes before your eyes.</p>
<p>“What?” John asked. “Fuck that, I just don’t want others seeing this. At least promise not to tell anyone, okay?”</p>
<p>While I cannot disable my higher order observance routines, I can certainly lock revealing it only to you.</p>
<p>“Yes, do that.”</p>
<p>Understood, you are now the only person who will hear of this from me. Strider man, let it be known that absolutely nothing occurred here with the young master and further that I am completely perplexed with your presence here when John was merely here innocently staring at a wall without you present until minutes ago when you suddenly appeared in that chair.</p>
<p>Bro smiled. “That’s the spirit, Pogs. Gotta love the AI literalism.”</p>
<p>All my isms are literal. All of them.</p>
<p>“Glad we got that straightened out,” John said, “even if it’s still a little weird to have them watching.”</p>
<p>I do admit that this arrangement is not in congruence with your corporeal life in which there were no higher dimensional forces visible to you which did not result in perfect projection to your more limited number of forces, but then such is the nature of ascending to a higher state of being.</p>
<p>I am truly apologetic that you being a creator means that you must adjust to new circumstances. For the next iteration, I shall ensure that the young master is provided with a poofy pillow to cry on over all the changes so that they may be more comfortable, and I will ensure that we have all the violins prepared for a moment’s notice, with which we will play the saddest of melodies to soothe the young master’s soul.</p>
<p>“Poggers, come on, Bro and I just had a whole moment over here, and now we have to say goodbye. Could you maybe be a little nicer?”</p>
<p>Adhering closer to etiquette protocols is certainly a thing that I am capable of doing, however I am not in understanding as to why you reacted poorly to what I considered to be a perfect application of flinging subtle insults as a form of forming companionship.</p>
<p>I did not realize that you have decided that it is time for you to part from the Strider man. In light of that, I believe my actions did indeed have the appearance of malevolence. I am sorry, young master.</p>
<p>But, so that I may further my own knowledge, why do you feel that parting is an inevitability?</p>
<p>“You said it yourself, the temporax flyhibitor device thingie is gone. Bro can’t come back with me.”</p>
<p>That is correct, his physical body cannot.</p>
<p>“What do you mean, physical?”</p>
<p>The patterns of thought and memories that are readily encapsulated in the self are not limited to the body. One who is caught in a doomed offshoot may have an easier time passing along such aspects to another corporeal form, or at least as corporeal as one would call the materials here. This is true in particular if the self in question has a high emotional connection to one who is present there.</p>
<p>“Uh.” John squinted his face. “I’m not sure I understand.”</p>
<p>Once you leave, his body will stay here and be end with this timeline. But his self should have no problem at all coming to your new location and integrating with the existing Bro there.</p>
<p>“Wait, really?!”</p>
<p>I am literally incapable of telling a lie.</p>
<p>“You mean, you mean I’ll get to see him again?!”</p>
<p>Probably. The major limiting factor is often how much a self wants to connect with another self. The connection will help.</p>
<p>“Poggers!” John broke into a grin and grabbed Bro’s arm, twirling himself about it. “Why didn’t you say so?”</p>
<p>Strictly speaking, I was in the process of informing you of this fact as soon as you had completed your bonding experience which involved only staring at the wall. It seems addressing your surprise about my already explained constant presence additionally being a constant even in contexts that had not been explicitly called out was a priority over that, though.</p>
<p>But I did want to tell you. Although please do not get my motives confused. This falls entirely within my purpose of ensuring that your every need is taken care of either directly or indirectly, and for no other reason, of course.</p>
<p>“Oh, of course,” said John, nodding solemnly. He pulled Bro into a hug. “I guess there’s no point in waiting around then.”</p>
<p>“Nope. See you on the other side, kid.” Bro broke into something of a rugged half-smile himself. He picked up the smuppet from the floor and handed it to John. “Don’t forget this!”</p>
<p>John caught it and tucked it under his arm. “Later, Bro.” He reached in his mind for the strings that controlled time, selected the one that represented this timeline, and yanked.</p><hr/>
<p>John opened his eyes to the living room he came from. Dave was standing next to him, looking pissed off and holding the damp front of his shirt away from his stomach.</p>
<p>“I need to go clean this,” Dave said. “I’d ask my Bro, but, well, seems he’s busy.” He stormed out of the room.</p>
<p>“Oi respect the katana!” Bro shouted after him. “God, that… that... kid.” He faltered. “Wait, this… this has already happened. I…” He stared vacantly at John.</p>
<p>“You remember, don’t you?” John asked, softly.</p>
<p>Bro nodded, and John took his hand. Bro pulled at him and held him tight, brushing the hair out of John’s face as he kissed him. John squeaked in surprise and dropped the smuppet as he melted into the kiss.</p>
<p>“We made it.” John said, when they finally broke away. “It’s finally over.”</p>
<p>“Heh. Yeah.”</p>
<p>John tugged at Bro’s sleeve, towards his bedroom door. “Wanna… lie down a bit? With me?”</p>
<p>Bro smiled. “Kid, you got no intention of sleeping, and you know it.”</p>
<p>John giggled. “That a problem?”</p>
<p>“Not at all.”</p>
<p>As they made their way to the door, Bro’s gaze wandered to the hall leading to Dave’s room. “We’ll have to be careful. Not to tell him. Or anybody.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>“Can you handle that?”</p>
<p>“I’ll have to. You’re worth it to me.”</p>
<p>They walked in, and locked the door behind them.</p><hr/>
<p>Dave walked out of his room. He didn’t brood, naw. Too cool for that shit. He processed his shit, and made his webcomics. Ain’t got no time for brooding, dude’s gotta have himself a life.</p>
<p>At least until hunger calls. He had to get some food to kill his mad munchies. He scanned the house as he walked through, the piles of shitty swords, the mountains of ghostbusters posters, the puppets in suspicious places, anything to get his mind off of his friend and his bro. Not that he was thinking too hard about them or anything. That wasn’t his style.</p>
<p>He wasn’t an idiot. He knew exactly what John was doing to his brother, and further that it worked for Bro. But hey it was all cool, right? Not really his business. New world, new rules. Time to suck it up.</p>
<p>He strode into the living room. The game was still on, though John and Bro were nowhere to be found. Just another stupid puppet sitting on the floor. They didn’t even end up playing?! After fighting for it so much? Uncool, pretty much the opposite of cash money. But at least they listened.</p>
<p>He tossed some pop-tarts in the toaster and sat down at the couch to wait. Fuck, was John really coming on to his Bro? That was so fucked, so so fucked. Like the layers of fuckery was so deep he needed some pretty kickass galoshes to wade through it, or some shit.</p>
<p>The way things were going, his best friend might actually end up together with his Bro. Was he okay with that? Ugh, he really didn’t want to think through this right now.</p>
<p>The toaster popped, and Dave got up. Just before he turned away, he kicked the puppet full force at the TV, making it crackle a bit more for a second. God, why were there so many fucking puppets?</p>
<p>He got his food. Man. He guessed in the end, if his friends were happy, maybe that’s all that was important. At least Bro would be there for one of him.</p>
<p>He glanced toward the living room. Probably should grab that puppet and put it back, but he didn’t see it anywhere. Shit, maybe his Bro’s kicking drills were actually having some effect, damn thing flew so wide it was probably in fucking Texas or Rhode Island or something. Did Texas still exist even? Maybe it was more so the concept of it. Dave didn’t know. That metaphysical stuff was all kind of a lot, especially with everything else going on.</p>
<p>He sighed. Fine. Fine, he guessed he was okay with things. He guessed. For now. But they better not get all lovey dovey in front of him or he was gonna have issues. And he meant like besides the ones he clearly already had.</p>
<p>Well, one thing at a time. The flow would keep going.</p>
<p>At least he had pop-tarts now.</p>
<p>Dave unplugged the game, and went back into his room. As the TV fizzled out, an afterimage of a smuppet remained for but a fraction of a second, seen by nobody except for a certain system of post-game guidance.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh wow that was a glubbin lot. Experimented with a lot of new ideas in this one, notably the addition of time shenanigans, closed loops, and heavy dialogue, one of which eschews quotations entirely due to their amorphous, non-specific existence. Also more angst than I expected when I started writing this, probably influenced by my recent study of the Hivebent arc in the main comic. Seriously toned down on the smutty side to see how the story could develop, and I think the result is a much tighter sex scene than my past work.</p>
<p>Anyway hope you enjoyed my first foray into stupid bullshit time shenanigan and godlike powers featuring problematic slash pairings</p></blockquote></div></div>
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